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By this I mean - Go from Kitchener is so stupidly slow as to be a waste of money for anyone not going directly to Union Station. Ive made the attempt to reach my office near Yonge and Eg multiple times and the time + cost makes it completely not viable. To put the time/cost into perspective - the train itself is 2 hours+ each way plus an additional 30 minutes for the subway assuming everything works out. So in order to work a full business day I would have to leave my house at 5:30am - to arrive at my office at 9am. Then the return leave the office at 5-5:30pm arrive home at approximately 8:40pm.

For what amounts to an 1:20hr trip by car without traffic this is ludicrous. Especially when taking into account the $40/day cost.

Forget all day trains - what needs to happen is the trip time needs to be significantly reduced - at worst it needs to drop to 1:30hr/each way or better yet down to 1hr/way. Adding more trains when the service itself has very limited value makes no sense.

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term.

In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

As you may recall, last year we tested Wi-Fi services from two different providers. It was very popular with our customers. We assessed the results throughout the summer and fall of last year, and free Wi-Fi on our GO trains and buses remains a key goal for Metrolinx. We are now in the process of negotiating with a contractor.

What is the long term plan for facilities on the Kitchener corridor and how does Metrolinx plan to mitigate noise and other impacts to residents on the Kitchener corridor? Specifically, when will temporary facilities such as the layover between Park and King Streets be closed or upgraded to minimize the impact on adjacent residential properties? The siding was presented to the community as temporary in 2010 and Metrolinx has not provided an updated long term plan or any noise mitigation.

Metrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.

Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.

We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.

I missed Guelph's City Hall meeting with Metrolinx not too long ago & was wondering if they were coming back so they could answer a few of my questions about the train service in Guelph on the weekends.I would like to see them have a stop in Acton so I can go visit family. I do use a mobility device that it's easier to use the train with it than a bus.

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

Now that a freight rail bypass along the 407 corridor is no longer being planned to route trains off the Kitchener Line through downtown Brampton, how feasible is frequent (hourly or better) two-way service on the Kitchener line if Metrolinx is still sharing track?

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

With a planned implementation date of 2024 for all-day GO trains between Kitchener and Union stations, will service be increased gradually to this date or should we expect service levels to remain the same until all the pieces fall into place for all-day service?

You're right, you should be able to rely on GO Transit to be on time. To ensure we’re meeting our commitments to you, we’re being more proactive about equipment upgrades, preparing more for extreme weather, spending more time on operations training, and working more closely with our rail partners to remove congestion in the network. We know our customers have been disappointed with our recent on time performance, and quite frankly, so are we. While some of these delays are within our control, many are not, including extreme weather events, delays caused by an increased number of false passenger alarms, police investigations and increased freight traffic across our network. Regardless of the reason, we know we can do better for our customers. This is a top priority for Metrolinx and we have teams from every part of our business working on addressing these concerns.

Riders to York are receiving less and poorer service at an effectively greater fare price by not fully integrating fares between GO & TTC. Due to the shift, GO buses are travelling 5km less, yet expect passengers to pay the same fare as if it was still terminating at York University. This results in total fares jumping by at least 50% for many riders.

It is not reasonable to penalize passengers for double fares when the service provided isn't better. With this shift, passengers now need to face the stress of transferring systems, and with the lack of reliability of the TTC subway system, the total commute time for many now has increased by minimum 10 minutes. Bus times have not minimized substantially, if at all.

What is your plan for full fare integration, and when will it be implemented? The simplest would be to just deduct the co-fare of $1.50 from your GO fare to account for the TTC transfer.

Currently a typical train trip takes over 2 hours to go about 100km between Kitchener and Toronto (To compare, trips on Via from Brantford to Toronto - essentially the same distance - take just over one hour). More trains are good, but the travel time is pathetic and seems to get worse every time an "improvement" is made on the line.

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

The January service changes to the Kitchener Line GO Trains caused public outrage due to the the loss of the 4:50pm express train and the resulting overcrowding on trains and on Union Station platforms, which led Metrolinx to reinstate parts the old schedule while maintaining the extra trip between Kitchener and Toronto. While the public may not ever know what happened behind the scenes that led to the unfortunate service change in January, I think the public would agree that public consultations on possible GO Transit service changes may help in the planning process, and help avoid a scenario similar to this in the future. What are your thoughts on providing public consultations on future GO Transit service changes?

The safety and comfort of our customers is our top priority. We will always strive to do better. Public consultation has been essential as we plan, build and deliver on transit expansion throughout the region, and it will continue to be.

The service changes introduced in January didn’t work for our customers as we presented them, so it became clear we had to make some modifications. This has been a learning experience for us, and with more creative problem solving, we plan to continue improving.

We encourage anyone with thoughts on how we can better serve our customers to share them through our many engagement opportunities.

I take the Kitchener line from Malton GO station. I have been writing to GO transit on an average frequency of twice a week. There are many challenges we face daily related to the commute itself and also for Malton station facilities. The response is always generic, not addressing the issues related to journey on train to/from Malton or the station itself. I would like to seek attention on these matter.

We understand the demand for convenient, frequent and accessible transit on the Kitchener corridor, which serves Malton station. We are continuously increasing rail service when and where we can, including an additional morning train from Malton station introduced in late 2018 and service increases in January of this year that added morning and afternoon trips to the station. We continue to work to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the Kitchener corridor.

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

By expand I mean, add more train times? Add more cars to trains that are busier? Expand its service to weekends or if not every weekend, on weekends where events are being held that would benefit the community that uses the Kitchener line. For example the Santa Claus Parade in downtown Brampton, or the large, one time events held at the International Center? If there is a plan for this when can it be expected to be implemented?

Metrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.

Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.

We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.

We have heard the announcements from the Minister of Transportation for the Breslau Go Station which has the Park & Ride Program. When is this going to occur as Kitchener does not have the parking like other Go Stations has and not easily accessible.?

A new, market driven approach to delivering stations means that new stations will advance as part of new property development plans in partnership with third party funders.

Metrolinx has always planned for the integration of transit and land use, so this new approach is an exciting opportunity to move this plan forward with each new GO station.

Not only can this approach save tax dollars, it supports the creation of new and seamlessly connected communities. For more information, please see the presentation from the December 6, 2018 board meeting.

Metrolinx already has co-fare (transfer) agreements with most local transit providers to reduce fare costs through the GTHA and we’re reviewing options to expand this program further. For GO service specifically, we also offer a rider loyalty program that caps the month cost for passengers using PRESTO and many local providers offer flat monthly passes. The GTHA Fare Integration review is underway and we welcome feedback to contribute to the ongoing discussion. More information can be found at http://www.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/fareintegration/default.aspx and https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/fares.

In the afternoon, there is a 4:13pm (almost express) train to Kitchener, then a 4:35pm train that stops at Bramalea. A very large amount of commuters get off the train at Bramalea and wait for the 4:50Pm express train because most get off work at 4:00pm and get to Union around 4:30ish. Why was the decision made to have a 4:13 train service all stops after Bramalea and not the other way around? Furthermore, why was the ridership not consulted prior to making changes? It seems as though Metrolinx does not care about their customers.

We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including ridership, available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Several stations along the Kitchener line received more trip options earlier this year, but we had to adjust some schedules to ensure our services could run in parallel with CN freight traffic.

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

If you’re boarding at Union and you wish to travel to Kitchener without needing to transfer, you can take the 4:50 p.m. express trip. To clarify, the 4:13 p.m. trip from Union does not go all the way to Kitchener – it terminates at Georgetown GO Station.

Since the CN freight bypass has been cancelled, how will two-way all-day service work on the Kitchener line? There is not enough land in the province to build enough lanes on the 401 to reduce congestion because induced demand will fill those lanes, so how soon will direction and frequency improvements be made on the Kitchener line?

Presto seems like an expensive and somewhat dated payment option.Given the availability, flexibility and ease of "Tap" Credit and Debit cards why not accept that Presto is either a mistake or an outdated idea?

PRESTO is implemented across 11 different transit agencies and has over 3 million users to date across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. With a customer satisfaction rate of 80 per cent, we’re confident that PRESTO is working well to provide a seamless fare payment experience for our customers.

With that being said, evolving technology and customer needs will require ongoing investments in our technological platforms, and we are always looking at ways to improve.

Today the Barrie Line is a well utilized passenger rail service with 20,000 peak passengers. The Barrie Line provides seven peak period trains in the morning connecting Barrie to Union Station, and seven trains in the afternoon connecting Union Station to Barrie. Throughout the day, there are hourly two-way trains between Union Station and Aurora. In 2018 expanded services were launched on the Barrie Line – including two-way, all-day hourly services on the weekend.

The additional infrastructure required, which includes new track, bridge upgrades, upgraded crossing, pedestrian access and layover areas, to provide two-way, all-day service on the Barrie line from Allandale Waterfront to Union GO station is part of the GO Expansion program. The exact specifications of the future GO Rail system will be determined through the GO Expansion procurement process where potential partners will submit proposals to realize the core benefits and objectives of the program. The procurement process has begun and we will continue to keep everyone updated on the progress as we move through the various stages.

Can you make adjustment to the fare for people who commute daily. We have been spending almost $ 500 every month. But the services are very poor. Kitchener line train is delayed almost once or twice a week.

We understand that travel to and from work can be costly, but we believe GO still provides a competitive advantage to the high costs associated with longer-distance car commutes.

If you pay with your PRESTO card, you not only pay the lowest possible fare but can benefit through our loyalty program. Each time you travel on GO using PRESTO, your fare is deducted from your PRESTO card and you receive fare discounts based upon the number of trips you take within a calendar month. Learn more about this benefit here.

Metrolinx also has co-fare agreements with numerous local transit providers that result in lower fares for the local transit portion of their combined trips with GO Transit. This means customers can travel seamlessly between GO and local transit agencies with their PRESTO cards and save money.

We are doing our very best to keep our fares at an appropriate level, keeping in mind that there are increased costs associated with putting more buses on the road and more trains on the tracks. We are also spending more on operating and maintenance costs for the new infrastructure that's built to support more service. In addition to all the service improvements we have recently introduced, we will be adding even more services this year to respond to growing customer demand in both rail and bus services. At the same time, changing market conditions affect the costs of the equipment and resources we rely on to provide our services.

Bringing more train service to Hamilton, and beyond, as soon as possible remains amongst Metrolinx top priorities. And this includes increasing service to West Harbour. In fact, the current weekday service to Niagara Region stops at West Harbour.

Thanks to Metrolinx’s improved relationship with CN, we were able to successfully deliver regular weekday train service to the Niagara region four years ahead of schedule.

We continue to work with our rail partners to find ways to deliver on our promise to increase service to the Hamilton and Niagara Regions even faster.

There has been research showing that battery buses (three section articulated or double decker) with trolley assist using dedicated road lanes can move more people than an LRT system. This type of transit can be implemented much faster using existing road systems like the route in Hamilton along King and Main streets. Any comments?

The decision on technology choice for a rapid transit project depends on a number of factors, including existing and future population and employment densities in the corridor and the projected future transit ridership the project is intended to serve. Light rail vehicles (LRVs) can carry approximately 200 people at a time, whereas an articulated bus carries approximately 75-115 at a time. A Benefits Case Analysis (BCA) was conducted and found that the full LRT option would generate significantly greater benefits, including travel time savings, socio-economic and environmental benefits. There are trade-offs to each choice with regards to cost, capacity, impacts, ridership and many other factors. For example, although Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is generally less expensive to construct than light rail, it may be more expensive to operate on a per passenger basis than LRT. As ridership increases within a corridor, the higher carrying capacity of LRVs creates operating efficiencies that generally can’t be matched by buses.

There is limited to no space available during rush hour train service as of December 2017, and with continuous growth in the area, this means more people will be requiring said parking. What is the timeline and resolution for this problematic situation that Mount Pleasant Go commuters are facing on a daily basis?

We know that parking at Mount Pleasant can be a challenge and we’re working to assess options to improve that. Customers are encouraged to explore other options to get to the station while we assess, including taking advantage of the reduced fare on Brampton Zum when connecting to GO services.

Right now it takes between 1 hr 50 min and 2 hr 10 min for the train ride between Kitchener and Toronto. What can be done to shorten this time? What are the plans to make this commute more bearable? Is a Kitchener/Guelph express possible? i.e. The train stops in Kitchener and Guelph, and then possibly Brampton or Bramalea and NO other stops? This could shorten the trip and make the commute easier and quicker for riders coming from/going to Kitchener. 2 hours is just too long.

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

Before presto, the persons who sold the go ticket to me told me that the ticket for lakeshore west and milton line are interchangeable. This is because they are the same price. Say if Milton line has issue and delayed, customer can use the same ticket to go to Port Credit instead going to Cooksville station. This was reasonable and fair. After Presto in place, I and other people in the same train were ticketed because we had tapped with default trip charge to the Lakeshore West Bronte station cost $9.02 and forgot to use the override to go to Cooksville for $6.18. So, we paid more for the ride and get a ticket. Metrolinx should not change this money grab rule. As long as customer paid at least the same equivalent fare, Go Transit should be satisfied. We were all so disappointed with the present unfair rule.

We’re sorry for any confusion about how you can pay for your GO trip with PRESTO.

It's important to override your PRESTO default setting when taking trips that are out of the ordinary—this process is explained on our website. Default settings are specific to your line and station. Our fare inspectors can only respond to what your card is telling them.

Connecting with Lakeshore West line would vastly improve connection options 24/7.Could provide better service for Waterloo Region especially Cambridge. Travel time would be about same from Cambridge Ainslie GRT station but could have stops along Hwy #8 and provide needed better service to Hamilton.

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.

We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.

The use of the west entrance to the Park Street Layover is temporary and was a measure put in place four years ago to accommodate work on the grade separation at King Street, primarily for the ION light rail. Moving the entrance back will require careful planning and that work is beginning.

Kitchener has been an area of focus for the last few years as we work to deliver on GO Expansion in the region and the Park Street Layover is an essential piece of infrastructure for these plans.

We are looking at the potential to deliver more service sooner, by working with our rail partners. Unfortunately, there is some uncertainty, as so much depends on the outcome of those negotiations.

We are committed to working with communities to address noise concerns as we get the region moving, please continue to share your concerns with our Community Relations team so we can work towards a solution.

There have been inferences about and pictures of Kitchener line GO trains servicing a station at Pearson airport. Is that plan being actively pursued by Metrolinx? What is the current estimated timeline for the project?

Metrolinx is working with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) to explore options to connect to their proposed Pearson Hub. Timelines are still to be determined. For more information, please visit: https://torontopearson.com/gtaa.aspx.

Does it make sense to have folks ticketed at your parking lots when there aren't enough spots? The Mount Pleasant lot is terribly packed, at times you have to park on the street or in a undesignated spot on the lot. It's not fair to pay to use your services and turn around and get a parking ticket when you have not planned for sufficient parking for your customers.

We know that parking at Mount Pleasant can be a challenge and we’re working to assess options to improve that. Customers are encouraged to explore other options to get to the station while we assess, including taking advantage of the reduced fare on Brampton Zum when connecting to GO services.

Earlier this month Mattamy Homes closed a portion of the road accessing the station for construction. For questions on street parking please visit the City of Brampton for more information.

Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek has promised an announcement about two-way, all-day GO train service between Kitchener and Toronto's Union Station in the next 18 months. This is nice to hear but what will happen about the parking? even as of today after 7:45 am there isn't any single parking available at mount pleasant go station. Same applies to Brampton go where the parking gets full after 7:13 am. My question is what is the point to have all day trains when people cant even get to park the car?

We know that parking can be a challenge and we’re working to improve that. Customers are encouraged to explore other options to get to the station while we assess, including taking advantage of the reduced fare on Brampton Zum when connecting to GO services.

We are continuously evaluating the needs and opportunities for parking and station access at all of our stations and looking at ways to further encourage our customers to access stations in a variety of ways, such as walking, carpooling and cycling. We’re also exploring new styles of transit and ways to make local transit more attractive.

Stouffville line off-peak service was planned to go as far as Mount Joy, and a few months ago a controlled signal was installed there to make that possible. Yet two schedule changes later, the trains still start and end at Unionville, taking a comical 52 minute long break while passengers get to waste up to 25 minutes transferring to buses for the rest of their trip. What's the hold up here?

We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. We are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, and more service to and from Stouffville. We’ll be sure to let our customers know about any new or modified service.

Are their plans to implement battery bus technology using inductive charging stops? Both New Flyer and Proterra now have battery buses. Proterra even has extended range battery buses that could be used on Go Bus routes.

We are currently investigating electric buses as a test to better understand how it might function in system. Although there are various bus technologies out there, GO Transit’s operation presents a unique challenge to this type of bus. Our trips are much longer than a standard city type operation with many of our buses operating over 600 to 800 km per day. The high mileage we operate is well beyond the current ranges of electric buses currently available, even with inductive charging. We do not have plans to implement electric buses at this time, but sustainability and environmental impacts are key criteria when we procure new vehicles.

Metrolinx is currently exploring the option of using smart phones to tap and load.

Recently, Metrolinx launched the PRESTO app and is available for download to all customers with mobile devices – making it even easier to load their card and manage their account.

The PRESTO app gives users the convenience of easily loading funds onto their PRESTO card on the go with debit and credit cards, or through Apple Pay. And for most Android phones with NFC capabilities, the app will let you load funds and passes instantly to your PRESTO card simply by holding it onto the back of your phone.

For added peace of mind, you can check your balance, review your trip history, or set up Autoload or Autorenew to ensure that you always have enough funds to travel. If Autoload or Autoreview isn’t for you, you can set up alerts that let you know when your balance drops below a certain amount or when your pass is about to expire.

Are their plans to implement battery bus technology using inductive charging stops? Both New Flyer and Proterra now have battery buses. Proterra even has extended range battery buses that could be used on Go Bus routes.

We are currently investigating electric buses as a test to better understand how it might function in system. Although there are various bus technologies out there, GO Transit’s operation presents a unique challenge to this type of bus. Our trips are much longer than a standard city type operation with many of our buses operating over 600 to 800 km per day. The high mileage we operate is well beyond the current ranges of electric buses currently available, even with inductive charging. We do not have plans to implement electric buses at this time, but sustainability and environmental impacts are key criteria when we procure new vehicles.

We take your safety seriously, and that’s a promise. Your safety is so important to us. Indeed, we do not recommend sitting on stairs as it is a safety risk to other customers who have to squeeze by and we actively discourage customers from doing this. We also recognize that customers line up on the stairs as they arrive at stations and encourage customers using the handrails to hold securely, being aware that the train can stop suddenly or move back and forth as it comes to a stop.

To prevent overcrowding along the platform, we encourage all of our customers to spread out along the platform and use all available doors. This includes using all available coaches to minimize crowding inside the coaches. Our Transit Safety Officers and customer service staff are committed helping everyone keep safe as we work towards increasing service across our GO Transit network.

Land was purchased to add parking to this station to accommodate a university hub which was to be built in the GO Brampton Station parking lot. Now that Ford has cancelled funding, is there going to be a parking structure built on the purchased land. The houses there are all boarded up.

Through our GO Expansion Program, improvements to Brampton GO Station may include enhancements to customer experience, improvements to station accessibility and/or additional station access options. However, no final plans have been approved. A final scope will be finalized if and when a contract is awarded.

On a regular bases, commuters on the line are faced with delays for the most part of the week, whether its due to equipment, traffic, signals. What is Metrolinx doing to stop these frustrating delays? On Thursday (Feb 28), there was a signal issue in the morning, a door issue, and then the express train was suddenly changed to an express. Issues like this deter people from recommending GO Transit.

We understand the past several months have been challenging and recognize the impact that service disruptions have for our customers.

Over the past few years, we have taken a number of steps to reduce the frequency of delays that occur. Some of these initiatives include upgrades to our infrastructure, improvements to our operational processes and increased preparation for poor weather conditions.

1 Can you start and end the Go Bus # 30 to University of Waterloo instead of Kitchener Go Station (Via Rail) the bus is barely used cause of poor marketing. Getting left off in the middle of nowhere and waiting for a half and hour without a bus shelter is inhumane, You take your chances standing around the Charles ternminal. Check out all the rent a cops patrolling the terminal. Doesn't appear to be a safe to me.2. If you won't move the start of Go Bus #30 to UW....can you at least add a stop or move a stop to weber and Victoria so those jumping on the 25 can transfer to the morning trains or #30 @ Via Rail...some people can't afford taxis.

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.

We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.

We recognize that parking has become challenging at some of our stations. We are continuously evaluating the needs and opportunities for parking and station access at all stations across the network and looking at ways to further encourage our customers to access stations in a variety of ways, such as walking, carpooling and cycling. We’re also exploring new styles of transit and ways to make local transit more attractive.

Milk runs are at the route of the overcrowding problem . Fewer stops and more direct service will reduce the number of people entering each train and a provide a faster and more comfortable commute for all.

The return of the 4:50 express and the new mini-Express are steps in the right direction. I would like to see an express to Mount Pleasant making all station stops to Kitchener.

Has this been considered given the recent population boom in Mount Pleasant and further west?

We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including ridership, available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Several stations along the Kitchener line received more trip options earlier this year, but we had to adjust some schedules to ensure our services could run in parallel with CN freight traffic.

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

I heard an announcement that children under the age of 12 years will ride free on Metrolinx. It seems to me that a large number of the children that will riding free come from affluent families that can easily afford to pay the fare for their children. Would it not make more sense to adjust fares for everyone that is on a low, fixed income including seniors?

The adjustment we made allows every family—including those on low or fixed incomes—to benefit from free rides for children. We know it’s important to make transit accessible for hard-working families, and this change is a positive step.

There are also fare discounts for students and seniors on GO Transit who use PRESTO. For more information, please visit gotransit.com/savewithPRESTO.

What is the standard for how often GO cars are cleaned and vaccuumed? Why are paper towels not always available (sometimes just a hand dryer - one sometimes needs to do a bit of cleaning before using the washroom)

Trains and buses receive a daily cleaning of garbage receptacles, newspapers, etc. when they come into the yards end of day. Every 2 weeks, they receive a deeper cleaning. Supplies are restocked daily, but may run out as our trains are in service all day. If a washroom is out of supplies, you can notify us with the coach number via social media, the GO Transit webpage or speak to the Customer Service Ambassador.

We are continuously evaluating the needs and opportunities for parking and station access at all of our stations and looking at ways to further encourage our customers to access stations in a variety of ways, such as walking, carpooling and cycling. We’re also exploring new styles of transit and ways to make local transit more attractive.

The Ontario Government is currently exploring building high speed rail between Toronto and Windsor, with 7 proposed station stops. The government is currently in the early stages of the planning, design and environmental assessment work. For more information, visit http://www.ontario.ca/page/high-speed-rail.

There is latent demand not being met by the current 3 hour all-stops trips on Saturday and Sunday. Is there any chance of extending the operating hours of the Route 30 Train-Bus or running express trips to Square One?

I was a 20 year TTC metropass customer. I have been forced to switch to the presto system. I've had issues with gates not working properly but that is nothing compared to what I'm dealing with today.

On Feb 25 I loaded the March pass. As of today, I was charged on Feb 25, (visa) and my pass is not loaded. I discovered this as I happened to check my account profile.

good thing for me I worked from home today? would have been a frustrating morning at Vaughan station.

Have spoken to presto 3 times today, this will take up to 5 business days to be resolved? Its been 5 business days since I paid and why am I the one who has to discover Presto's error? Why am i demanding escalation and not getting that?

at one point the person on the phone asked me to go back to Sherbourne station and give him the ID number on the machine i used!!!!!! Was that comic relief? How was I supposed to get there? obviously not using the subway. It's March 1, my March pass isn't loaded? Am i to believe you have no idea you dont know what machines are in which stations? What kind of operation is this?

We will flag this particular issue with our Customer Care team and ensure this matter is resolved if it hasn’t already been.

When an issue like this is identified, we work with our vendors to ensure it is quickly resolved. If we have the machine ID number, this can speed up the resolution—but we do agree that you should not be burdened to go out of your way to get it.

Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. We will use this as an opportunity to do better in the future.

For example, recent delays due to "waiting for passengers to board". I asked Metrolinx staff if it was due to an accessibility accommodation, or weather, and they simply said "large number of passengers are boarding at a time and to ensure safe boarding, we extend the length of time the coach doors remain open." Could you please elaborate further? In my experience these delays have been at Georgetown, Acton, and Guelph stations. It does not take even close to 10-15 minutes to load passengers, especially in those locations.

This is just one example of excuses and public relations tricks to cover up minor issues. We all see through it, save your time and energy for service improvements.

Generally it’s standard practice to hold at stations when a large number of customers are present. This can be due after sporting/entertainment events, service delays, etc. If you would like to know more about a specific delay, please contact us here.

Ontario Highway 401 between K-W and Pearson International Airport has seen a lot of construction over the years with no end in sight! Expanding the number of lanes, bridges being demolished and rebuild, continuous surface repairs that are never fast enough to provide a smooth drive for soo many people driving to work and back again everyday (typically not carpooling). Crashes happen, people get hurt, people get hospitalized, people die in various crashes every year. How many people have died yet in a crash on that section of the 401 this year? How many human lives lost on the 401 is too many? How do you put a price on human life? How much fuel, time, money and health (see: carbon-exhaust emissions) wasted due to the faults of the 401 (collectively and individual) year to year? How much cost and time and money and lives and such does it take from Ontario taxpayers for the to have the rail system they need to leave their cars at home and take a reliable public transit system? Transport Canada and the Government of Ontario can and should work together for the good of the people. Soo far they fail us regarding the 401 and GO Train services between K-W and Pearson International Airport. Metrolinx is failing K-W.

We understand the demand for convenient, frequent and accessible transit between Toronto and the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

We are continuously increasing rail service when and where we can, including off-peak services that we run on the evenings and weekends. We know that many people want to take GO trains into and out of downtown Toronto not only for work, but for events and other recreational activities, which is why we have big plans for expanded GO services.

In the meantime, many of our buses provide quick, convenient and affordable access to Toronto on the weekends, when highways are less congested and quicker to travel on.

The site between Park and King was to be temporary, SHORT TERM. According to promises made in 2010.When will the layover move to it's new location? Do you have a new location?Will you upgrade the current site to mitigate nose? When?

Kitchener has been an area of focus for the last few years as we work to deliver on GO Expansion in the region and the Park Street Layover is an essential piece of infrastructure for these plans.

We are looking at the potential to deliver more service sooner, by working with our rail partners. Unfortunately, there is some uncertainty, as so much depends on the outcome of those negotiations.

We are committed to working with communities to address noise concerns as we get the region moving, please continue to share your concerns with our Community Relations team so we can work towards a solution.

As it stands there is no direct link between Downtown Kitchener and Downtown Guelph or Downtown Hamilton. These are glaring omissions in the GO bus network and severely reduce the ability to travel within the region. An easy route could see buses travelling from Downtown Kitchener along highway 7 through to Guelph. And Hamilton could easily be linked along the 401 to highway 6 or along highway 8 through Cambridge.

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.

We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.

Under 12 year olds from affluent families riding free does not seem quite fair. I think it would make more sense to make an exception for everyone that is on a low, fixed income including seniors. It would not have to be a free ride but certainly more affordable.

The adjustment we made allows every family—including those on low or fixed incomes—to benefit from free rides for children. We know it’s important to make transit accessible for hard-working families, and this change is a positive step.

There are also fare discounts for students and seniors on GO Transit who use PRESTO. For more information, please gotransit.com/savewithPRESTO.

What can be done to reduce the trip time from Kitchener to Union Station? Currently the trip from Kitchener takes about two hours. What can be done to reduce this? Could we get this down to 90 minutes?

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

The exact specifications of the future GO Rail system will be determined through the GO Expansion procurement process where potential partners will submit proposals to realize the core benefits and objectives of GO Expansion.

Proposals submitted to Metrolinx may vary in their design and delivery (example: different signalling approaches, different track designs) – however they all must deliver the performance objectives specified in this FBC.

Final infrastructure and service plans, including fleet designs will be made available once we reach financial close with our project partner.

All-day, 15-minute, two-day GO Rail service to the suburbs and cities surrounding Toronto is predicated on electrification of major portions of the GO network. Much work has been done laying the groundwork. Has the new provincial government given any indication of its position towards electrification?

The ION LRT line has been mired in delays, with each one being revealed to the public closer and closer to the anticipated launch. Most recently, a delay to "Spring 2019" from "December 2018" was communicated back in November 2018. Is it possible to get information presented more frequently, or do we have to wait until a month before the end of the "Spring 2019" window to find out there is another 6 month delay?

We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including ridership, available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Several stations along the Kitchener line received more trip options earlier this year, but we had to adjust some schedules to ensure our services could run in parallel with CN freight traffic.

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

The train takes 2 hours (on a good day, let’s be real) to get from Kitchener to Union. I know 30+ people that work in the GTA but choose to drive because the Go train options are limited and it takes forever. Door to door, my trip to Yonge/Bloor is 2.5 hours. That’s 5 hours a day! That’s outrageous. A train express to Acton and then Guelph and Kitchener would vastly increase your Tri-Cities riders and promote public transit use rather than driving (reduced traffic, reduced emissions, leaving the 401 artery clear for long hauls etc). The cost for me to get to and from work (including the TTC) is $34.44. Every day. The least you could do is provide a service that’s worth that money. Instead we’re left with limited options for travel and sometimes we get the privilege of sitting on that OVERCROWDED train for 4 hours. Also, there are frequently two train cars that are inoperable on my morning commute, leaving things even more crowded than usual. If you did in fact listen to your customers you would know where the need for express is and would implement it as such.

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

We have started the infrastructure upgrades on the corridor required to enable expanded Kitchener service and to increase the speed of our trains along the corridor, to shorten journey times.

In late 2018 we took over a key piece of the corridor through Guelph and we have begun to address critical maintenance issues there that will help improve speed in the short term. In the longer term, Metrolinx has retained the services of a Technical Advisor for an Environmental Assessment and design services associated with the planned incremental speed and service improvements planned through 2019 and beyond.

Providing more GO service is critical to ensuring that the GO network is reliable and able to meet the demand for more transit service today and in the future.

Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.

Metrolinx is continuing to make progress on the next phase of renovations for Union Station, so that it’s ready to support 15-minute service with up to 6,000 trains per week.

The work underway at Union Station and the projects to come are focused on giving you more efficient, frequent and comfortable service. This work is to catch-up after 30 years of under-investment, and the projects to come are focused on building the rail network we will need for the next 30 years.

The Union Station revitalization is one of the most complicated construction projects in the country, wedged into one of the most congested parts of Toronto, and taking place while maintaining one of the busiest commuter hubs in North America. The revitalization is an $800-million City initiative supported by investments of $164 million from the Government of Canada and $191.8 million from the Government of Ontario.

Metrolinx and the City of Toronto have been working together to advance the completion of the work where possible, and as fast as possible.

For future Town Hall RSVPs via the Engage website, can an option to add the event to a Google Calendar be added? Right now it's just (iCal) and other websites like EventBrite allow for events to be added to a Google Calendar very quickly. Also, Evenbrite gives people additional calendar options.

Has Metrolinx ever studied adding more stations in Waterloo Region to facilitate east-west travel? This would change the Kitchener Line from being mainly a connection between Kitchener and Toronto, to a service that can bring people to Downtown Kitchener from New Hamburg and Guelph.

A new, market driven approach to delivering stations means that new stations will advance as part of new property development plans in partnership with third party funders.

Metrolinx has always planned for the integration of transit and land use, so this new approach is an exciting opportunity to move this plan forward with each new GO station.

Not only can this approach save tax dollars, it supports the creation of new and seamlessly connected communities. For more information, please see the presentation from the December 6, 2018 board meeting.

The lay over area at Park and Agnes was supposed to be a temporary, SHORT TERM, situation until a permanent location was established elsewhere. What is the timeline for that new location? Do you have a location chosen?

The use of the west entrance to the Park Street Layover is temporary and was a measure put in place four years ago to accommodate work on the grade separation at King Street, primarily for the ION light rail. Moving the entrance back will require careful planning and that work is beginning.

Kitchener has been an area of focus for the last few years as we work to deliver on GO Expansion in the region and the Park Street Layover is an essential piece of infrastructure for these plans.

We are looking at the potential to deliver more service sooner, by working with our rail partners. Unfortunately, there is some uncertainty, as so much depends on the outcome of those negotiations.

We are committed to working with communities to address noise concerns as we get the region moving, please continue to share your concerns with our Community Relations team so we can work towards a solution.

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.

We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.

For two years now, your quarterly Capital Projects Reports to the ML Board have alluded to a substantial approved budget for Go Expansion. See Table 1, Cap Projects Group reports to Board dated Feb 17 2017 and Feb 7 2019. Is this "real money" (ie has it been released for your use) or is this just a notional budget? How much has been spent in the past two years and how much has been approved for spending in the next two years? What are the priority projects for the next two years on GO Expansion? Please convince me that this program has actual deliverables in the works versus being all talk and no results. Is any of this real?

Metrolinx continues to advance on the projects included in the GO Expansion program, and are currently making improvements at various stations around the region and are working through the procurement process on other projects needed to get the region moving.

Since the publication of the Initial Business Case (IBC) in 2015, significant work has been undertaken in refining and developing options, and in seeking to optimize the GO Expansion program improvements. A Full Business Case (FBC) has been produced that builds upon the work undertaken in the IBC, drawing upon best available evidence, updated forecasts and revised costs and designs. The FBC confirms that the case for GO Expansion is robust – it will realize significant benefits to transit users, drivers, and the region as a whole. By leveraging an existing network of over 400 km of railway, GO Expansion will unlock the potential of the region. This means:

More time with family, for everyone – travellers using GO Rail will get from where they are to where they want to go faster, while drivers will benefit from decongested roads. Electric trains, like subways, travel faster and can save the average commuter 20 minutes from their trip.

More jobs and increased productivity – investing in rail will create new jobs in the transport sector and make the GTHA a more competitive place to invest and do business. With this investment, 13.8% of jobs within GTHA will be within 2KM of a station and over 30% of the regions jobs will be within a 30 min walk of a transit station.

Better business for Metrolinx – more efficient trains will reduce operating subsidy requirements, and improved service will grow ridership and revenue. The Metrolinx GO Expansion investment makes efficient use of taxpayer dollars to unlock the future potential of the GO transit system to connect, people, communities and businesses for a more prosperous region. Off-peak electrified service will be up to 60% cheaper to operate and maintain and GO operations will be fully cost recoverable by 2031 as ridership increases from faster and integrated rail service.

Partnering with Private Sector – private sector partnerships will minimize delivery risk and support job growth and industrial investment in the GTHA, while ensuring GO Rail service meets customer needs. The DBFOM procurement model will result in a single, integrated 35-year contract that harnesses the worldwide expertise of the private sector to drive contractor accountability for outcomes and reward innovation.

Metrolinx is currently conducting a joint study with the Region of Waterloo to explore the use of the CN tracks along the Fergus subdivision to bring GO service to Cambridge. In exploring new service, Metrolinx’s business case approach takes into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, and available resources.

We know that parking at many of our stations can be a challenge and we are working to assess options for improvements. Customers are encouraged to explore alternative modes of transit to get to our stations, including taking advantage of reduced fares on local services to connect to GO. Grand River Transit riders can travel to and from GO stations in Kitchener for only $0.50.

Metrolinx is working with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) to explore options to connect to their proposed Pearson Hub. Timelines are still to be determined. For more information, please visit: https://torontopearson.com/gtaa.aspx.

We continuously monitor ridership and demand across our bus network, which encompasses nearly 2,800 kilometres’ worth of routes. We do our best to allocate our resources where they’re needed most, and we will most certainly share your feedback with the relevant team as we plan for the future.

There are already several distinguishing factors of PRESTO cards with child concessions set on them. When tapped on a reader, they cause it to make a different sound and light up a different colour. The signature box on the back of a card can also be used to figure out which card is which.

You can check the information on your card—including any concessions that are set, your balance, and trip history—using Self-Serve Reload Machines and Fare Vending Machines across the GO and TTC systems, Ticket Vending Machines across the GO system, and at Shoppers Drug Mart locations in the GTHA. If you have an Android phone with NFC capabilities, you can also check your card information through the PRESTO app.

In terms of fare inspection, the vast majority of transit customers pay their fares. Unfortunately there will always be a small percentage of people who will look for ways to scam any system, which is why transit agencies establish fare enforcement systems and policies.

Metrolinx is responsible for enforcing fares on our own systems, GO and UP, and the other transit agencies we work with are responsible for their own fare enforcement and establishing policies such as fines. We’re also responsible for ensuring our customer service outlets follow our processes when selling PRESTO cards and setting concessions, which includes asking for valid identification.

Enforcement ensuring proper usage lies with the transit agency. Validation of any PRESTO card with a concession occurs at the time of use. We work closely with our transit partners to come up with potential solutions to ensure PRESTO cards are being used properly. One of the ways we discourage fraudulent use is to hotlist or cancel the cards via our central system if we're notified by the transit agency.

Metrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.

Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.

We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.

GO is effectively charging passengers with a 50% higher fare by not fully integrating with the TTC, yet reducing service by driving 5km less.

By stopping at 407 station, you're forcing many York U passengers to make a transfer that wasn't even necessary before. This transfer not only has added monetary costs, but also stress from timing the two services. Once a subway train is delayed or a bus prematurely leaves, the passenger is left stranded for the next bus, which sometimes take upwards of 30 min - 1 hr of wait time at a station with no nearby amenities. Due to the unreliability of the subway and later departure times of buses, the total commute time is unchanged at best, or at worst, 10-20 minutes longer.

The least that can be done is to fully integrate fares. Passengers, many of them students, shouldn't be "taxed" for realignment of transit services, especially given how GO is reducing service by driving less and offloading all passengers to subway trains to finish the rest of the commute to the university.

When there are many events downtown, especially in the summer, the Go Train area especially is unsafe with hoards of people cramming to make their train. I was caught in such a situation last August and was scared that I’d suffocate or get trampled on or pushed into the rails or all of the above. It’s the same thing with the subway, Surely Metrolinx must be aware of the events so why don’t they prepare for them by adding more frequent running trains and have officers there to control the crowds?

Safety is central to everything we do and we do our best to add in additional service to accommodate a large event where possible. For instance, we add extra service or special service for events such as the CNE, Nuit Blanche, occasions such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, as well as some concerts and sporting events.

When we anticipate a larger volume of customers than normal, we also ensure we have extra staff and transit safety officers on hand to ensure people can get to their platform and board their train safely.

In the longer term, we have plans to make the GO train platforms at Union Station wider. This will result in better passenger flows and a more comfortable experience for customers.

We are always looking at ways to improve safety, and we take your concerns seriously. Thank you for sharing them with us.

York University passengers are experiencing poorer service with effectively greater fare rates of up to 50%, as there is no full fare integration between GO & TTC.

Total commute times have lengthened by at least 10 minutes, as passengers now need to time the subway to buses. In many occasions, subway train delays and premature bus departures have made passengers miss their bus, forcing them to wait at a terminal that is situated in the middle of nowhere.

Either drive your buses back to York University or fully integrate fares - it is absurd to "tax" your passengers for a shift that they have not even requested, and is a regression of service that's used to be provided by GO Transit.

It'd be really nice if all GO Transit buses on Route 31 that normally began or ended at Bramalea GO (most times, with the exception of very early mornings as well eastbound evenings after 8PM and westbound after 10PM) extended to Bramalea City Centre, for the additional connections available there. Can Metrolinx review this request? Can Metrolinx also publicly publish a brief study on it? Would something like this need to go through a full Business Case Analysis process or would it be consider as part of the normal bus planning work done by Metrolinx? Thank you!

Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.

All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.

We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.

There are lot of people who uses kitchner line want to have express trains increased during morning and evening commute so that we can have better commute times. Presently there is only one express in the morning hours which is insufficient for the volume of people. Please atleast have 5 morning and 5 evening trains for current volumes

Metrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.

Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.

We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.

The bus routes, like the 71, have always ran express from Union Station to Unionville before making other Stouffville line stops and vice versa. Express train service should parallel this route, as it drastically cuts down commute times for many riders travelling north and can ease over-crowded trains during rush hour like the 16:48 and 17:20 Union Station trains.

As a regional transit provider, there should be more emphasis on providing timely service across different regions rather than within the city. Stopping at Danforth, Kennedy, Agincourt and Milliken (all in Toronto) adds at least 20-30 minutes that a bus like the 71 can easily avoid, which is ironic as it goes against the RER plan.

We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. We are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, and more service to and from Stouffville.

PRESTO is a division of Metrolinx which is an agency of the Government of Ontario and its mandate is currently limited to the Greater Golden Horseshoe. PRESTO cannot be used on VIA Rail which is a federal system that extends outside of Ontario. Our focus is on maintaining and improving the PRESTO system within our defined service area. It is currently available on 11 different transit agencies.

I was ticketed because I tapped with default ride from Union to Bronte $9.02 and ran for the another train for cookeville $6.18. What I had paid was much more than the ride. There should not be a ticket to rider who paid equivalent or higher fare than the ride.

We’re sorry for any confusion about how you can pay for your GO trip with PRESTO.

It's important to override your PRESTO default setting when taking trips that are out of the ordinary—this process is explained on our website. Default settings are specific to your line and station. Our fare inspectors can only respond to what your card is telling them.

Since as all day 2 way travel is a ways away. 18 months us what I read.Can we not atleast increase sevice every 15 mins during rush hour? Yesterday I missed my 537 from Bloor due to delays on the TTC and had to sit and wait until 610 for the next train. Thats a pretty long time to wait.

Trains along the Kitchener line use their whistles within the Township of Guelph/Eramosa and Village of Rockwood, where many residents live in close proximity to the rail line. Residents suffer through train whistles day and night. The increased GO train service has effected freight train schedules and starting Nov 2018, began operating nightly between midnight and 5am, whistles blowing. What noise mitigation is proposed for residents living in close proximity to the rail line? Is the mental well being of your neighbours a priority for Metrolinx?

Sounding whistles, their volume and frequency are federally regulated by Transport Canada in the interest of public safety.

All train operators are required to comply with Canadian Rail Operating Rules (CROR), which requires the engine whistle to be sound from ¼ of a mile prior to entering each public crossing. CROR Rule 14L (i) requires the whistle to sound as follows: 2 long whistles followed by one short and another long whistle. Each whistle signal must be distinct, with the intensity and duration proportionate to the distance the signal is to be conveyed.

Whistle cessation is a municipal led process and municipalities have the option to eliminate routine whistling at specific crossings if they feel that would better reflect their community’s priorities. You can learn more at https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/railsafety/railsafety-976.html. Various terms and conditions related to technical feasibility, implementation cost and liability apply. In the past, Metrolinx has successfully worked with municipalities to implement whistling cessation where requested.

Ridership on the stoufville corridor is increasing rapidly with most rush hour trains filled to standing room capacity. The 17:20 especially rivals those busy Kitchener trains that people complained about. When should we expect more service on this corridor during rush periods and what is preventing more service from being added in the next or following board period?

We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. We are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends.

Are there any plans to expand the GO Train to London and have London included in all day two way service. I understand that this would include upgrading the existing track and laying a lot more new track

GO Transit is a regional public transit service provider for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, with routes extending to communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The service area covered by GO Transit is prescribed and mandated by the Minister of Transportation, and does not extend to the City of London. There are currently no plans to extend GO train service to London, Ontario.